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Investing.com -- Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)'s CEO Elon Musk has responded to remarks made by President Donald Trump's top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, who referred to Musk as a "car assembler." Musk took to his social media platform X to express his disagreement, writing, "Navarro is truly a moron. What he says here is demonstrably false."
Navarro's comments came during an interview with CNBC on Monday, where he dismissed Musk's call for "zero tariffs" between the U.S. and Europe. He stated that Musk's comments on tariffs were unsurprising given his role as a "car person." Navarro went on to say that while Musk is a car manufacturer, he is more accurately a car assembler, given that many Tesla parts originate from Japan, China, and Taiwan.
Navarro's remarks are part of an ongoing feud between Trump's advisers. Musk, who was speaking at a congress of Italy's right-wing, co-ruling League Party, expressed his hope for the U.S. and Europe to agree to a "zero tariff situation," effectively creating a free trade zone. This came days after Trump announced hefty reciprocal tariffs against nearly 60 countries. Trump's plans include a general tariff of 20% for European Union countries.
Navarro noted that he had not spoken with Musk since his post on X over the weekend, in which Musk suggested that Navarro's "PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing." Navarro downplayed the personal comment as "no big deal" and mentioned that the two men would likely see each other at the White House on Monday. Navarro emphasized the difference in their thinking, stating that Trump's push is to reshore U.S. manufacturing, while Musk relies on foreign parts to manufacture Tesla vehicles in the U.S.
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